How did Virat Kohli perform on his Irani Cup 2008 debut against Anil Kumble's Rest of India?

Virat Kohli represented Delhi in the Irani Cup 2008 game against Anil Kumble-led Rest of India. As part of the champion Delhi team in the Ranji Trophy 2007-08 season, Kohli contributed 373 runs in five games at an average of 53.28. He then led India to title victory in the U19 World Cup 2008.

After making his IPL and ODI debut, Kohli returned to domestic cricket. He made his Irani Cup debut for Delhi on September 24, 2008, in Vadodara.

The first innings saw the Rest of India post a total of 252, with Wasim Jaffer scoring 50. In response, Delhi got support from Aakash Chopra (42) and Virender Sehwag (43) but their wickets curtailed the team's momentum.

Coming at No. 4, Kohli was dismissed for 4 off 11 as Munaf Patel made him caught by MS Dhoni. In the end, Delhi were bundled out for 177. Thereafter, the Rest of India compiled a total of 302, riding on Rahul Dravid's 69.

Chasing 378, Delhi lost their skipper Sehwag (3) early. Gautam Gambhir then stitched together a 32-run partnership with Virat Kohli (16) before the latter was trapped LBW by Zaheer Khan. Gambhir went on to score 91, as Delhi were all-out for 190 and Rest of India won the game by 187 runs.

Although Kohli had a successful year, he could not be proficient in his Irani Cup debut, scoring only 20 runs across two innings.

---

Virat Kohli could make his Ranji Trophy return in 2024-25 season

Last month, the Delhi & District Cricket Association announced the players list of Ranji Trophy probables for the 2024-25 season. Virat Kohli and Rishabh Pant were among the high-profile names marking their presence in the roster.

Kohli's last Ranji Trophy appearance came in the 2014-15 season, where he played a solitary game and scored 57 runs. The veteran batter could return to play in India's premier first-class tournament this season.

However, the coming months will be quite busy for Virat Kohli. He will represent India in a three-match series against New Zealand and the much-awaited Border Gavaskar Trophy.